阅读说明：本技术 用于定位和操作智能服装上的便携式设备的系统和方法 (System and method for locating and operating portable devices on smart apparel ) 是由 埃利斯·A·平德 于 2018-04-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：用于定位和操作安装到服装(110)上的便携式设备(105)的系统和方法。一种方法(300)包括：利用电子处理器,从集成在服装(110)内的多条通信线(215)中的通信线(215)接收信号。该方法(300)还包括：利用电子处理器,基于信号,确定便携式设备(105)在服装(110)上的位置。该方法(300)还包括：利用电子处理器,基于所述位置,确定便携式设备(105)的操作模式。该方法(300)还包括：利用电子处理器,基于所述操作模式,调节便携式设备(105)的操作。(Systems and methods for locating and operating a portable device (105) mounted to a garment (110). A method (300) comprising: the electronic processor is configured to receive a signal from a communication line (215) of a plurality of communication lines (215) integrated within the garment (110). The method (300) further comprises: determining, with the electronic processor, a location of the portable device (105) on the garment (110) based on the signal. The method (300) further comprises: determining, with the electronic processor, an operating mode of the portable device (105) based on the location. The method (300) further comprises: adjusting, with the electronic processor, operation of the portable device (105) based on the operating mode.)

1. A method for locating and operating a portable device mounted to a garment, the method comprising:

receiving, with an electronic processor, a signal from a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment;

determining, with the electronic processor, a location of the portable device on the garment based on the signal;

determining, with the electronic processor, an operating mode of the portable device based on the location; and

adjusting, with the electronic processor, operation of the portable device based on the operating mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal comprises: receiving an indication of the communication line through which a signal is sent among a plurality of communication lines of the garment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal comprises: receiving a first signal from the communication line and a second signal from a second communication line different from the communication line, wherein the plurality of communication lines are arranged to form a coordinate system within the garment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the location comprises: determining coordinate points on the coordinate system based on the first and second signals, wherein the coordinate points are associated with a location of the portable device on the garment, and wherein the first signal indicates rows of the coordinate system and the second signal indicates columns of the coordinate system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving at least one selected from the group consisting of a user feature, orientation data, and a garment feature, the user feature indicating a feature of a user of the garment, the orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, and the garment feature indicating a feature of the garment,

wherein determining the operating mode of the portable device comprises: determining an operational mode of the portable device based on a determination that the portable device has been detached from the garment and at least one selected from the group consisting of a user feature indicative of a feature of a user of the garment, orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, and a garment feature indicative of a feature of the garment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting operation of the portable device comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: adjusting a configuration of a display, adjusting a configuration of a hard key, adjusting a field of view of an image sensor, disabling a microphone, enabling the microphone, adjusting a notification feedback source, adjusting a beamforming of a microphone, adjusting a filtering of the microphone, and adjusting a gain of the microphone.

7. A portable device for mounting to a garment, the portable device comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

an electronic processor coupled to the memory and configured by execution of the instructions to:

receiving a signal from a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment;

determining a location of the portable device on the garment based on the signal;

determining an operating mode of the portable device based on the location; and

based on the operating mode, adjusting operation of the portable device.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the signal comprises an indication of a communication line through which the signal is sent among a plurality of communication lines.

9. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the signal comprises a first signal from the communication line of a plurality of communication lines of the garment and a second signal from a second communication line of the plurality of communication lines of the garment, the second communication line different from the communication line, and wherein the first signal and the second signal indicate coordinate points on a coordinate system formed by the plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment.

10. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive a user characteristic indicative of a characteristic of a user of the garment, and determine an operating mode of the portable device based on the user characteristic.

11. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device and determine an operating mode of the portable device based on the orientation data.

12. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to receive a clothing feature indicative of a feature of the clothing, and determine an operating mode of the portable device based on the clothing feature.

13. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the signal comprises a location descriptor from a tag associated with a predetermined location on the garment.

14. A system for locating and operating a portable device, the system comprising:

a garment having communication lines of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment, the garment comprising an electronic processor configured to generate and send signals; and

a portable device mounted to the garment, the portable device including a second electronic processor configured to:

receiving the signal from the communication line integrated within the garment,

determining a location of the portable device on the garment based on the signal;

determining an operating mode of the portable device based on the location; and

based on the operating mode, adjusting operation of the portable device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the signal comprises an indication of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment through which the signal is sent.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second electronic processor is further configured to receive a second signal associated with a second portable device mounted to the garment, the second signal indicating a location of the second portable device on the garment, wherein the second electronic processor is configured to determine the operating mode of the portable device based on a second location of the second portable device on the garment.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment are arranged to form a coordinate system within the garment.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the signal comprises a first signal from the communication line of the plurality of communication lines and a second signal from a second communication line of the plurality of communication lines, the second communication line different from the communication line, and wherein the first signal and the second signal indicate a coordinate point on the coordinate system.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the second processor is further configured to receive at least one selected from the group consisting of: a user feature, orientation data, and a garment feature, the user feature indicating a feature of a user of the garment, the orientation data from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, and the garment feature indicating a feature of the garment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second processor is further configured to determine the operational mode of the portable device based on at least one selected from the group consisting of user features, orientation data, and clothing features: the user features are indicative of features of a user of the garment, the orientation data is from an orientation sensor associated with the portable device, the garment features are indicative of features of the garment.

Background

Portable devices such as portable communication devices, portable cameras, etc. may be mounted to a garment, such as a vest, worn by a user of the portable device. The portable device may be mounted to the garment at various locations on the garment. For example, when the portable device is a portable radio, the portable radio may be mounted to the garment such that the portable radio is located near the mouth and ears of the user. In this case, the portable radio may be mounted to the garment in a position on the garment associated with the chest or shoulders of the user. When the portable device is a portable camera, the portable camera may be mounted to the garment based on a desired viewing direction (e.g., a forward viewing direction, a rearward viewing direction, etc.). In this case, the portable camera may be mounted to the garment in a position associated with the front of the user (for forward viewing directions) or located on the garment in a position associated with the back of the user (for rearward viewing directions).

Drawings

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various principles and advantages of the concepts, including embodiments of the claimed invention, and to explain those principles and advantages.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for locating and operating a portable device mounted on a garment, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a communication network for a garment included in the system of fig. 1, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of a garment including a plurality of communication lines in the communication network of fig. 2, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of various surfaces of a garment associated with a coordinate system formed by the plurality of communication lines shown in FIG. 3, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of a communication network of a garment included in the system of fig. 1 when the communication network forms a coordinate system according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method performed by the system of FIG. 1 for locating and manipulating a mount to a garment, according to one embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the communication network of fig. 5 when the portable device is mounted to the garment according to one embodiment.

Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of the embodiments.

The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Detailed Description

One embodiment provides a method for positioning and operating a portable device mounted on a garment. The method comprises the following steps: signals are received with the electronic processor from communication lines of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment. The method further comprises the following steps: determining, with the electronic processor, a location of the portable device on the garment based on the signal. The method further comprises the following steps: an operating mode of the portable device is determined based on the location using the electronic processor. The method further comprises the following steps: adjusting, with the electronic processor, operation of the portable device based on the operating mode.

Another embodiment provides a portable device for mounting to a garment. The portable device includes a memory storing instructions. The portable device also includes an electronic processor coupled to the memory and configured by executing the instructions to receive signals from a communication line of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment. The electronic processor is further configured to determine a location of the portable device on the garment based on the signal. The electronic processor is further configured to determine an operating mode of the portable device based on the location. The electronic processor is further configured to adjust operation of the portable device based on the operating mode.

Another embodiment provides a system for locating and operating a portable device. The system includes a garment having communication lines of a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment. The garment includes an electronic processor configured to generate and transmit a signal. The system also includes a portable device mounted to the garment. The portable device includes a second electronic processor configured to receive a signal from a communication line integrated within the garment. The second electronic processor is further configured to determine a location of the portable device on the garment based on the signal. The second electronic processor is further configured to determine an operating mode of the portable device based on the location. The second electronic processor is further configured to adjust operation of the portable device based on the operating mode.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system 100 for locating and operating a portable device 105 mounted on a garment 110, according to one embodiment. In the example shown, system 100 includes a portable device 105 and a garment 110. The portable device 105 may be a handheld communication device, such as a mobile phone, mobile radio, smart watch, or other smart wearable device. Alternatively or additionally, the portable device 105 may be a camera device, for example, a mobile camera or other portable image recording device. Garment 110 is a wearable body garment such as a vest, pants, or jacket. As described above, the portable device 105 may be mounted to the garment 110. The portable device 105 may be mounted to the garment 110 using, for example, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, or other types of mechanical attachment mechanisms. In some embodiments, garment 110 is worn by public safety personnel or a first responder (such as a police officer). In some embodiments, system 100 includes more or fewer devices 105 and garments 110 than shown in fig. 1.

In the example shown, portable device 105 includes a device controller 115, an image sensor 116, a microphone 117, a speaker 118, a display 119, hard keys 120, an orientation sensor 121, a wireless communication interface 122, and a communication interface 135. The device controller 115, image sensor 116, microphone 117, speaker 118, display 119, hard keys 120, orientation sensor 121, wireless communication interface 122, and communication interface 135 communicate via one or more control or data connections or buses. In some embodiments, portable device 105 includes fewer or additional components, which are configured differently than shown in FIG. 1. For example, the portable device 105 may include more or fewer image sensors, microphones, speakers, displays, hard keys, orientation sensors, and communication interfaces, depending on the desired functionality of the portable device 105.

The microphone 117, speaker 118, and wireless communication interface 122 allow the portable device 105 to function as a mobile communication device, such as a portable radio. For example, microphone 117 captures audio, speaker 118 generates audio, and wireless communication interface 122 establishes a two-way communication link with one or more wireless communication networks. The image sensor 116 is configured to collect visual data. For example, in some embodiments, the image sensor 116 is a camera that allows the portable device 105 to function as a mobile camera. The display 119 is configured to provide output to and receive input from a user of the portable device 105. For example, in some embodiments, the display 119 is a touch screen display that includes one or more reconfigurable soft keys for receiving input from a user of the portable device 105. The hard keys 120 are configured to receive input from a user of the portable device 105. In some embodiments, hard keys 120 are reconfigurable. For example, a user of portable device 105 may reconfigure hard keys 120 using display 119. The hard keys 120 and soft keys are configured to receive user inputs that control functions of the portable device 105, such as dialing a phone number, changing a volume setting, selecting a radio channel to communicate, initiating audio or video recording, and so forth. The orientation sensor 121 detects the orientation of the portable device 105, such as right side up, upside down, or the like. For example, the orientation sensor 121 may detect when the portable device 105 is mounted upside down on the garment 110.

The communication interface 135 is configured to receive one or more signals from the garment 110. In some embodiments, communication interface 135 is a Radio Frequency (RF) communication interface. When communication interface 135 is an RF communication interface, communication interface 135 includes an antenna. The antenna is configured to receive one or more signals from the garment 110. In some embodiments, the communication interface 135 is an optical communication interface. When the communication interface 135 is an optical communication interface, the communication interface 135 includes an optical sensor configured to detect optical signals transmitted from the garment 110. In some embodiments, the communication interface 135 is an inductive communication interface. When the communication interface 135 is an inductive communication interface, the communication interface 135 includes an inductor. In some embodiments, the communication interface 135 is a conductive communication interface. When the communication interface 135 is a conductive communication interface, the communication interface 135 includes one or more terminals that physically connect with the garment 110. When physically connected with the garment 110, one or more terminals of the communication interface 135 are configured to receive one or more signals from the garment 110. Whether communication interface 135 is an RF communication interface, an optical communication interface, or an electrically conductive communication interface corresponds to the type of communication network of garment 110. In some embodiments, communication interface 135 includes two or more of an RF communication interface, an optical communication interface, and an electrically conductive communication interface.

Device controller 115 includes a combination of hardware and software that, among other things, may be used to identify the location of portable device 105 on apparel 110 and adjust the operation of portable device 105 based on the identified location. In the example shown, device controller 115 includes a device electronic processor 140 (e.g., a microprocessor or other suitable device), a device memory 145, and a device communication interface 150. Device electronic processor 140, device memory 145, and device communication interface 150 communicate over one or more control or data connections or buses. In some embodiments, device controller 115 includes fewer or more components, which are configured differently than shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, device controller 115 performs additional functions in addition to those described herein.

The device electronic processor 140 is configured to retrieve instructions related to the methods described herein from the device memory 145. Device electronic processor 140 is also configured to execute those instructions to implement the functionality of portable device 105 described herein. Device memory 145 is an example of a non-transitory computer readable medium and may include, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area may include a combination of different types of memory, including Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). The instructions may include one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions.

In the example shown, device memory 145 stores mapping data 148. Mapping data 148 may include, for example, a look-up table. As described in more detail below, the device controller 115 uses the mapping data 148 to map one or more signals received from the garment 110 to one or more physical locations on the garment 110, to one or more communication lines among a plurality of communication lines integrated within the garment 110, or a combination thereof.

The device communication interface 150 allows the device controller 115 (and its components) to communicate with external devices as well as various input and output devices, such as an image sensor 116, a microphone 117, a communication interface 135, a speaker 118, a display 119, hard keys 120, an orientation sensor 121, and a wireless communication interface 122. As described above, the image sensor 116, the microphone 117, the communication interface 135, the speaker 118, the display 119, the hard key 120, the orientation sensor 121, and the wireless communication interface 122 allow desired functions of the portable device 105, such as a communication function, an imaging function, and the like.

In the example shown, the garment 110 includes a garment controller 160 and a communication network 165. In some embodiments, garment 110 includes fewer or additional components, which are configured differently than shown in fig. 1.

The garment controller 160 includes a combination of hardware and software that is particularly useful for generating and transmitting signals to the portable device 105 via the communication network 165. In the example shown, the garment controller 160 includes a garment electronic processor 170 (e.g., a microprocessor or other suitable device), a garment memory 175, and a garment communication interface 180. The garment electronic processor 170, garment memory 175, and garment communication interface 180 communicate via one or more control or data connections or buses. In some embodiments, the garment controller 160 includes fewer or additional components, which are configured differently than shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the garment controller 160 performs additional functions in addition to those described herein.

The garment electronic processor 170 is configured to retrieve instructions from the garment memory 175 relating to the methods described herein. The garment electronic processor 170 is further configured to execute those instructions to implement the functionality of the garment 110 described herein. Garment memory 175 is an example of a non-transitory computer readable medium and may include, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area may include a combination of different types of memory, including Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). The instructions may include one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions.

In the example shown, the garment memory 175 stores routing data 185. The routing data 185 may include: for example, a mapping of a physical location on the garment 110, a plurality of communication lines, or a combination thereof to a plurality of unique identifiers. In some embodiments, the garment electronic processor 170 accesses the routing data 185 to generate one or more signals to send (via the communication network 165) to the portable device 105 for determining the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110.

The garment communication interface 180 allows the garment controller 160 (and its components) to communicate with external devices as well as various input and output devices. In the illustrated example, the garment controller 160 communicates with the communication network 165 through a garment communication interface 180. For example, the garment controller 160 may transmit the generated signal to the communication network 165 via the garment communication interface 180.

The communication network 165 is configured to receive one or more signals from the appliance controller 160 and transmit the one or more signals to the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105. Fig. 2 is a diagram of a communication network 165 of the garment 110 included in the system 100 of fig. 1. In the illustrated example, the communication network 165 includes a signal router 200. The signal router 200 is configured to control routing of one or more signals received from the appliance controller 160 to one or more communication lines 215. Signal router 200 is a control circuit that includes hardware circuitry, software, or a combination thereof for implementing routing functions.

The communication network 165 also includes a plurality of communication lines 215 (referred to herein as "communication lines 215" or individually as "communication lines 215"). The communication line 215 is configured to communicate one or more signals received from the signal router 200 to the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105. In some embodiments, the communication line 215 is integrated within the garment 110. The communication lines 215 may be positioned between one or more fabric layers of the garment 110, woven into a fabric layer of the garment 110, or adhered to a fabric of the garment 110. Additionally, in the illustrated example, each communication line 215 is associated with one of a plurality of garment locations 218A, 218B, 218C, and 218D. In the following description, the reference to the garment position 218 is used when referring to any one of the garment positions 218A to 218D, and the reference to the garment position 218 is used when collectively referring to the garment positions 218A to 218D. In some embodiments, the communication network 165 includes more or fewer garment locations and communication lines than shown in fig. 2.

As described above, the portable device 105 may be mounted to the garment 110. The portable device 105 may be mounted to the garment 110 using the attachment mechanism of the garment 110. Thus, each attachment mechanism of the garment 110 may correspond to one of the garment locations 218. In other words, an attachment mechanism for garment 110 may be located at each garment location 218.

The communication network 165 may be, for example, an optical communication network, an electrically conductive communication network, an inductive communication network, an RF communication network, or the like. When the communication network 165 is an optical communication network, the communication lines 215 may be optical communication lines configured to carry one or more optical signals to the garment location 218. Additionally, the communication network 165 may include an optical shield surrounding each communication line 215. The optical shield may enclose each communication line 215 between the garment controller 160 and the garment location 218. An optical output terminal or no optical shielding (exposed portion of the optical communication line 215) may be provided at the garment location 218 for receipt by the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105. When the communication network 165 is an inductive communication network, the communication line 215 may be an embedded wire configured to carry one or more current signals to the garment location 218. Additionally, when the communication network 165 is an inductive communication network, the communication line 215 may induce a current in an inductor of the communication interface 135. When the communication network 165 is a conductive communication network, the communication line 215 may be an embedded wire configured to carry one or more current signals to the garment location 218. When the communication network 165 is an RF communication network, the communication line 215 may be an embedded wire configured to carry electrical signals to an antenna associated with the garment location 218. Additionally, when the communication network 165 is an RF communication network, the communication line 215 itself may act as an antenna. As described above, the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105 corresponds to the type of communication network 165 to receive signals transmitted by the service controller 160.

In some embodiments, communication line 215 conductively couples portable device 105 and garment 110. For example, the garment 110 may include a plurality of metal contacts, wherein each metal contact is coupled to the communication line 215 and positioned at the garment location 218. Additionally, the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105 may include metal contacts that are conductively coupled to conductive contacts associated with the communication line 215. Accordingly, when the portable device 105 is conductively coupled to the communication line 215 (via the metal contacts), the portable device 105 may receive one or more signals from the garment 110 via the communication network 165. Since the garment location 218 is the point at which the portable device 105 can interact with the garment 110 via the interface 135 and the communication line 215, the garment location 218 may also be referred to as an interface point.

In some embodiments, the communication lines 215 of the communication network 165 are arranged on the garment 110 as a coordinate system 220, as shown in fig. 3. In the example shown, the communication line 215 is integrated horizontally within the garment 110 and vertically within the garment 110. Thus, the communication lines 215 integrated horizontally within the garment 110 are associated with the x-axis of the coordinate system 220, while the communication lines 215 integrated vertically within the garment 110 are associated with the y-axis of the coordinate system 220.

When the communication lines 215 of the communication network 165 are arranged on the garment 110 as a coordinate system 220, the non-two-dimensional garment 110 may be graphically unfolded to map the three-dimensional garment 110 to the two-dimensional coordinate system 220. For example, as shown in fig. 4, the bottom, center, front of the garment 110 may be located at the origin (0,0) of the coordinate system 220, with the left side 230 of the garment 110 located along the negative x-axis of the coordinate system 220 and the right side 235 of the garment 110 located along the positive x-axis of the coordinate system 220. In other embodiments, different portions of garment 110 are located at the origin (0,0) of coordinate system 220.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of a communication network 165 of a garment 110 included in the system 100 of fig. 1 when communication lines 215 are arranged on the garment 110 as a coordinate system 220, according to one embodiment. In the example shown, the communication network 165 includes a signal router 200, a row driver 222, a column driver 224, and communication lines 215 arranged in a coordinate system 220. The signal router 200, row driver 222, and column driver 224 communicate over one or more control or data connections or buses. When the communication lines 215 are arranged in the coordinate system 220, the signal router 200 routes one or more signals received from the garment controller 160 to either the row driver 222 or the column driver 224. The row drivers 222 are configured to drive signals to communication lines 215 integrated horizontally within the garment 110, while the column drivers 224 are configured to drive signals to communication lines 215 integrated vertically within the garment 110. When the communication lines 215 are arranged in the coordinate system 220 on the garment 110, the attachment mechanism of the garment 110 may be located at a coordinate point where the horizontal communication lines and the vertical communication lines intersect. In some embodiments, such as when the communications network 165 is an RF communications network, the attachment mechanism may also be located in an open area between the communications lines 215 instead of, or in addition to, an intersection point.

Fig. 6 is a flow diagram of a method 300 performed by the system 100 of fig. 1 for locating and operating a portable device 105 mounted on a garment 110, according to one embodiment. In the example shown, the method 300 includes receiving (at block 305) a signal from a communication network 165 integrated within the garment 110 with the device electronic processor 140. In some embodiments, the garment controller 160 generates the signal based on routing data 185 stored in the garment memory 175. For example, the signal generated by the garment controller 160 may include an indication from the communication line 215 of the communication lines 215. The garment controller 160 sends the signal to the communication network 165 via the garment communication interface 180. The signal router 200 of the communication network 165 routes the signal to the communication line 215 based on an instruction of the communication line 215 included in the signal. The communication line 215 to which the signal router 200 routes the signal sends the signal to the portable device 105 (e.g., device electronic processor 140) via the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105.

The garment controller 160 may generate and transmit more than one signal. In some embodiments, the garment controller 160 generates and transmits a signal for each garment position 218A-218D. For example, referring to fig. 2, the garment controller 160 may generate a first signal having an identification of garment position 218A, a second signal having an identification of garment position 218B, a third signal having an identification of garment position 218C, and a fourth signal having an identification of garment position 218D. The garment controller 160 may transmit the first signal, the second signal, the third signal, and the fourth signal to the signal router 200 of the communication network 165. Signal router 200 routes the first signal to first service location 218A via communication line 215 associated with first service location 218A. Similarly, signal router 200 routes the second, third, and fourth signals to the appropriate laundry locations 218B-218D, respectively, via communication lines 215 associated with each of the laundry locations 218B-218D.

In other embodiments, the garment controller 160 generates and transmits a signal for each communication line 215. For example, referring to fig. 5, the garment controller 160 may generate a signal for each communication line 215 in the coordinate system 220, where each signal includes an indication of each communication line 215 in the coordinate system 220. The service controller 160 transmits each signal to the signal router 200. The signal router 200 routes each signal (via the row driver 222 and the column driver 224) to the communication line 215 associated with the indication included in each signal. For example, the signal router 200 routes a signal having the indication "y 2" to the communication line 215 associated with the indication "y 2".

In some embodiments, the garment controller 160 periodically generates and sends signals to the device electronic processor 140 via the communication line 215 of the communication network 165 at certain intervals, as described above with respect to block 305 of fig. 6. The specific interval may be fixed or variable. For example, the garment controller 160 may generate a first signal to the garment position 218A, a second signal to the garment position 218D, delay for a certain period of time, and then repeat so that the garment controller 160 periodically sends a signal to each communication line 215. Alternatively or additionally, upon receiving a request from the portable device 105, the garment controller 160 may generate and send a signal to the device electronic processor 140 via the communication line 215 of the communication network 165. The request from the portable device 105 may be communicated to the appliance controller 160 via the communication interface 135 using the communication line 215 of the communication network 165. For example, the user of portable device 105 may initiate the request using display 119 of portable device 105, hard keys 120 of portable device 105, or the like. Once the user of the portable device 105 initiates the request, the request is sent to the appliance controller 160 using the communication line 215 of the communication network 165. Alternatively or additionally, upon detecting a change in state of the portable device 105, such as the portable device 105 being attached to the garment 110 or the portable device 105 being removed from the garment 110, the garment controller 160 may generate and send a signal to the device electronic processor 140 via the communication line 215 of the communication network 165.

When the device electronic processor 140 receives the signal from the communication network 165, the device electronic processor 140 determines the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 based on the signal (at block 310). As described above, in some embodiments, the signal received by device electronic processor 140 includes an indication of communication line 215 through which the signal is sent to portable device 105. Based on the indication included in the signal, the device electronic processor 140 determines the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110. In some embodiments, the device electronic processor 140 determines the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 by accessing the mapping data 148 stored in the device memory 145. For example, as described above, mapping data 148 may include a lookup table. Accordingly, the device electronic processor 140 can look up the indication included in the signal to determine a location on the garment 110 associated with the indication. For example, referring to fig. 2, when the device electronic processor 140 receives a signal with an indication associated with the garment location 218B, the device electronic processor 140 can determine that the portable device is located at the garment location 218B. The mapping data 148 may store additional look-up tables, each associated with a different garment type or size. The device electronic processor 140 can use user input received via the display 119 or received garment indication signals received over the communication network 165 to select an associated look-up table for the garment 110.

As described above, in some embodiments, the device electronic processor 140 receives more than one signal, such as a first signal and a second signal. The device electronic processor can determine the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 to look for the indication included in the first signal and the indication included in the second signal. Based on the indication included in the first signal and the indication included in the second signal, the device electronic processor 140 can determine coordinate points on a coordinate system 220 on the garment 110. As described above, the coordinate point may represent an intersection or overlapping point of the two communication lines 215 associated with the first signal and the second signal. In some embodiments, the coordinate points are associated with the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110. For example, referring to fig. 7, the device electronic processor 140 can receive a first signal indicated as "y 4" and a second signal indicated as "x 3". Based on the indication of the first signal and the indication of the second signal, the device electronic processor 140 can determine that the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 is a coordinate point on the coordinate system 220, represented by (3, 4).

Based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110, the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 (at block 315). For example, when the portable device 105 is located at a first position on the garment 110, the device electronic processor 140 can determine a first mode of operation for the portable device 105. However, when the portable device 105 is located at a second position on the garment 110, the device electronic processor 140 can determine a second mode of operation for the portable device 105.

Once the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105, the device electronic processor 140 adjusts the operation of the portable device 105 based on the determined operating mode (at block 320). In some embodiments, device electronic processor 140 adjusts the operation of portable device 105 by adjusting the configuration of display 119 of portable device 105, the configuration of hard keys 120 of portable device 105, or a combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the device electronic processor 140 adjusts the operation of the portable device 105 by adjusting the filtering or gain of the microphone 117 of the portable device 105 to customize the audio settings for the particular location determined in block 310 of fig. 6.

Alternatively or additionally, the device electronic processor 140 may adjust the operation of the portable device 105 by selecting a sensor or transducer from among a plurality of sensors or transducers based on the position determined in block 310 of fig. 6. For example, portable device 105 may include a remote speaker microphone (e.g., speaker 118 and microphone 117) having multiple microphone elements. Device electronic processor 140 may adjust the number of microphone elements turned on or off based on the position of portable device 105 on garment 110. For example, when the device electronic processor 140 determines that the position of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 is a position on the garment 110 associated with the user's left shoulder, the device electronic processor 140 may adjust the operation of the portable device 105 by opening the subset of microphone elements closest to the user's mouth. Device electronic processor 140 may also adjust the operation of portable device 105 by turning off a subset of microphone elements farthest from the user's mouth to prevent portable device 105 from picking up background noise. The device electronic processor 140 can also adjust the operation of the portable device 105 by adjusting the beamforming to focus the audio capture of the microphone 117 toward the user's mouth.

In some embodiments, in addition to portable device 105, a second portable device 400 is mounted to garment 110, as shown in fig. 7. The second portable device 400 is similar to the portable device 105. When the garment 110 has multiple installed devices, the installed devices may communicate with each other (e.g., via the communication network 165 of the garment 110). For example, the location of the second portable device 400 is determined by the second portable device 400 (e.g., using the method 300), provided to the garment controller 160, and stored in the garment memory 175 of the garment 110. The device 105 communicates (via the communication network 165) with the garment controller 160 to determine the location of the second portable device 400. After the portable device 105 determines the location of the second portable device 400, the portable device 105 may communicate directly with the second portable device 400 (via the communication network 165). In some embodiments, the communication network 165 (signal router 200) may perform routing of communications between the portable device 105 and the second portable device 400. Such direct communication between devices installed on the garment 110 (which tend to be battery powered) monitors communications transmitted over a shared communication bus that is not available to the installed devices without the installed devices. For example, the portable device 105 may send a routing request to the service controller 160. The routing request may include a routing configuration for signal router 200. The routing configuration may enable direct communication between the portable device 105 and the second portable device 400. Alternatively or additionally, the portable device 105 may address a signal for the second portable device 400. When the portable device 105 sends a signal (via the communication network 165), additional portable devices (such as the second portable device 400, the third portable device, and the fourth portable device) that are mounted on the garment 110 need only read the address of the signal. Thus, additional portable devices, such as the third portable device and the fourth portable device, need only read the address of the signal, not the entire signal, and only the second portable device 400 needs to read the entire signal.

Alternatively or additionally, the device electronic processor 140 can determine the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the location of the second portable device 400. For example, when performing the method 300, the portable device 105 determines the location of the second portable device 400 as part of block 310, and in block 315, determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the location of the second portable device 400 in addition to or instead of based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110.

In some embodiments, the spacing of the communication lines 215 may be adjusted based on a desired granularity or resolution, a size of the portable device 105, a method of mounting the portable device 105 to the garment 110, and the like. Depending on the spacing of the communication lines 215, the portable device 105 may receive a plurality of signals associated with one axis of the coordinate system 220. For example, when the device electronic processor 140 receives signals from two adjacent communication lines 215, the device electronic processor 140 can determine that the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 is between those two adjacent communication lines 215.

In some embodiments, at block 305 of fig. 6, when the device electronic processor 140 receives the signal, the device electronic processor 140 also receives at least one user characteristic. The user characteristics indicate characteristics of the user of the garment 110. The user characteristics may be indicative of physical characteristics of the user, such as hands, height, gait, medical condition, etc. that have a significant role. The user characteristics may indicate a preference of the user. For example, the user characteristic may indicate that the user prefers auditory feedback over non-auditory feedback. The user characteristics may include identification information, authorization information, or a combination thereof. For example, the user characteristics may include a username, a user identification number, a user profile, security credentials, and the like.

In some embodiments, the user characteristics are stored in garment memory 175 of garment 110. When the user characteristics are stored on the garment memory 175 of the garment 110, the garment controller 160 can send the user characteristics to the device electronic processor 140 using the communication network 165. However, alternatively or additionally, the user characteristics may be stored on the device memory 145. Alternatively or additionally, the user features may be stored on and read from a smart card or smart identification card using, for example, near field communication. A smart card or smart identification card may be associated with and carried by a particular user. In some embodiments, the garment controller 160 reads the smart card using the communication network 165 and temporarily stores the smart card data in the garment memory 175. When the portable device 105 communicates with the garment controller 160 (via the communications network 165), the garment controller 160 may transmit the smart card's data to the portable device 105.

The device electronic processor 140 can use the user characteristics to determine the operating mode of the portable device 105. For example, when performing the method 300, the device electronic processor 140 receives the user characteristic before determining the operating mode of the portable device 105 at block 315, and the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the user characteristic in block 315 in addition to or instead of based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110. For example, the user feature may indicate that the user of garment 110 is right-handed. The device electronic processor 140 may determine an operating mode of the portable device 105 for a right-handed user, such as configuring the display 119 of the portable device 105, the hard keys 120 of the portable device 105, or a combination thereof for the right-handed user. In another example, the user characteristic may be indicative of a credential of the user of the garment 110, such as a credential indicating that the user of the garment 110 is an administrative user. The device electronic processor 140 may determine an operating mode of the portable device 105 to include functions available to the user with the indicated credentials, such as functions limited to managing the user.

Alternatively or additionally, at block 305 of fig. 6, when the device electronic processor 140 receives the signal, the device electronic processor 140 also receives the garment characteristic. The garment characteristics indicate characteristics of the garment 110. For example, in some embodiments, the garment characteristics include the type of garment 110, such as a vest, a long-sleeved vest (long sleeved-vest), and so forth. In some embodiments, the garment characteristics are stored in garment memory 175 of garment 110. When the garment characteristics are stored in the garment memory 175 of the garment 110, the garment controller 160 sends the garment characteristics to the device electronic processor 140 using the following communication network 165. Alternatively or additionally, the garment features are stored on and read from a smart card or smart identification card associated with the garment 110 using, for example, near field communication. The device electronic processor 140 uses the clothing signature to determine the operating mode of the portable device 105. For example, when performing the method 300, the device electronic processor 140 receives the clothing characteristics prior to determining the operating mode of the portable device 105 at block 315, and the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the clothing characteristics in block 315 in addition to or instead of based on the location of the portable device 105 on the clothing 110. For example, the garment feature may indicate that the garment 110 is a vest. The device electronic processor 140 then determines a first mode of operation suitable for the vest. For example, when portable device 105 is a wearable camera (e.g., including image sensor 116), device electronic processor 140 may determine an operating mode of portable device 105 in which a field of view of portable device 105 is adjusted upward (e.g., a first operating mode). However, when portable device 105 is a wearable camera (e.g., including image sensor 116) and the clothing feature indicates that garment 110 is a helmet, device electronic processor 140 may determine an operating mode of portable device 105 in which a field of view of portable device 105 is adjusted downward (e.g., a second operating mode).

In another example, the clothing feature indication clothing 110 is a vest and the portable device 105 is a remote speaker microphone (e.g., microphone 117 and speaker 118). The device electronic processor 140 determines a mode of operation of the portable device 105 associated with a first mode of operation of the remote speaker microphone. In this first mode of operation, the primary radio in the separate housing may provide audio input to the microphone 117 and audio output from the speaker 118. However, when the clothing characteristics indicate that the clothing 110 is pants, the device electronic processor 140 determines a second mode of operation of the portable device 105 in which the remote speaker microphone is disabled and the functionality of the remote speaker microphone is restored to the primary radio.

In yet another example, the garment characteristic indication garment 110 is a vest and the portable device 105 includes notification functionality, such as optical feedback, audio feedback, and tactile feedback provided by the display 119, the speaker 118, or a combination thereof. The device electronic processor 140 determines an operating mode of the portable device 105 in which optical feedback is provided to the user of the garment 110 (e.g., a first operating mode). However, when the apparel characteristic indicates that apparel 110 is a helmet, device electronic processor 140 determines an operating mode of portable device 105 in which audio feedback is provided to a user of apparel 110 (e.g., a second operating mode)

In some embodiments, as described above, portable device 105 includes position sensor 121. The orientation sensor 121 may be configured to determine the orientation of the portable device 105 when the portable device 105 is mounted on the garment 110. For example, the orientation sensor 121 may detect that the portable device 105 is mounted upside down on the garment 110. As described above, the orientation of the portable device 105 when mounted to the garment 110 may affect the user's interaction with the portable device 105, the functionality of the portable device 105, or a combination thereof. Thus, the device electronic processor 140 can use the orientation data collected by the orientation sensor 121 of the portable device 105 to determine the operating mode of the portable device 105. For example, when performing the method 300, the device electronic processor 140 receives the orientation data collected by the orientation sensor 121 before the device electronic processor 140 determines the mode of operation of the portable device 105 at block 315, and in block 315 the device electronic processor 140 determines the mode of operation of the portable device 105 based on the orientation data in addition to or instead of based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110.

In some embodiments, the garment 110 includes a plurality of tags, such as Near Field Communication (NFC) tags. A plurality of tags may be integrated within the garment 110 at various predetermined locations on the garment 110. For example, multiple tags may be located at the center of each attachment mechanism of garment 110. Each of the plurality of tags may include a location descriptor that identifies a location on the garment 110. Thus, when the portable device 105 is attached via the attachment mechanism of the garment 110, the portable device 105 (e.g., the communication interface 135 of the portable device 105) may "read" the location descriptor of the tag integrated within the garment 110 at the location of the attachment mechanism of the garment 110. The device electronic processor 140 can determine the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 based on the location descriptor of the tag. For example, when performing the method 300, the device electronic processor 140 receives the location descriptor prior to determining the operating mode of the portable device 105 at block 315, and the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the location descriptor in block 315. In some embodiments, garment 110 is manufactured with a plurality of "blank" labels. At a later point in time (e.g., as an automated final manufacturing step), the garment 110 can be programmed to encode each of the plurality of labels with an associated location descriptor.

In some embodiments, garment 110 has various sizes, such as sizes arranged in order from smaller to larger. The surface area of garment 110 varies depending on its size. Therefore, using the same number of communication lines 215 in the small garment 110 and the large garment 110 results in a difference in resolution. In some embodiments, it is desirable to account for such differences in resolution without placing undue burden on the portable device 105 mounted to the garment 110, without adding unnecessary cost to the garment 110, and without sacrificing reliability. In some embodiments, various scaling techniques may be applied to account for the possibility of resolution differences in garments 110 of different sizes.

For example, coordinate ranges may be defined for various portions of garment 110. For example, the communication line 215 associated with a unique identifier ranging between "x 0" and "x 10" may be dedicated to the left side portion of the garment, and the communication line 215 associated with a unique identifier ranging between "x 11" and "x 20" may be dedicated to the right side portion of the garment. During design of the garment 110, the number of communication lines 215 routed to the selected portion of the garment 110 may be determined based on the size of the garment 110 and the desired resolution. For example, for a small size garment 110, the left front portion may include four communication lines 215, which may be associated with the indications "x 0", "x 3", "x 6", and "x 9" to provide a level of resolution. However, for large-sized garments 110, the left front portion may include six communication lines 215, which may be associated with unique identifiers "x 0", "x 2", "x 4", "x 6", "x 8", and "x 10" to achieve a resolution comparable to small-sized garments 110.

In some embodiments, the garment 110 includes multiple sets of communication lines 215. Each set of communication lines 215 may be present on the garment 110 for unrelated purposes. For example, as described herein, a first set of communication lines 215 within the garment 110 may be used for conventional communication throughout the garment 110, while a second set of communication lines 215 within the garment 110 may be used for device location communication between the garment controller 160 and the portable device 105. Conventional communication may involve communication between various devices and sensors integrated within garment 110 or mounted to garment 110. Providing multiple sets of communication lines 215 within the garment 110 allows each set of communication lines 215 to be customized based on the particular purpose or requirement of each set of communication lines 215. However, in other embodiments, the communication line 215 provides both conventional communication and device location communication.

In some embodiments, method 300 further includes (after block 320): the time at which the portable device 105 is removed from the garment 110 is determined with the device electronic processor 140, and the operation of the portable device 105 is adjusted with the device electronic processor 140 when the portable device 105 is removed from the garment 110. For example, device electronic processor 140 may generate an attachment confirmation request signal and send the attachment confirmation request signal to garment electronic processor 170 via communication network 165. In response to receiving the attachment confirmation request signal, the garment electronic processor 170 can generate an attachment confirmation signal and send the attachment confirmation signal to the device electronic processor 140 (via the communication network 165). When the device electronic processor 140 receives the attachment confirmation signal from the garment electronic processor 170, the device electronic processor 140 determines that the portable device 105 has not been removed from the garment 110. When the device electronic processor 140 does not receive an attachment confirmation signal from the garment electronic processor 170 (e.g., within a predetermined period of time), the device electronic processor 140 determines that the portable device 105 has been removed from the garment 110. In response to determining that portable device 105 has been removed from garment 110, device electronic processor 140 may adjust the operation of portable device 105. For example, portable device 105 may be a remote speaker microphone (e.g., speaker 118 and microphone 117). When the device electronic processor 140 determines that the portable device 105 is removed from the garment 110, the device electronic processor 140 adjusts the operation of the portable device 105 by disabling its speaker 118 and microphone 117 to restore the function of the portable device 105 to the primary radio (e.g., the second portable device 400) installed on the garment 110. Alternatively, portable device 105 is a portable radio that includes remote speaker microphones (e.g., speaker 118 and microphone 117) in a first housing with communication interface 135. The remote speaker microphone is coupled to the device electronic processor 140 via a wired or wireless connection, the device electronic processor 140 housed separately in the local speaker and microphone. Upon determining that the remote speaker microphone is removed from the garment 110 using the techniques described herein, the device electronic processor 140 disables the remote speaker microphone and restores the functionality of the remote speaker microphone to the local speaker and microphone.

In some embodiments, the device electronic processor 140 generates and sends an attach confirm request signal periodically (such as every second, every minute, or another period of time). Alternatively or additionally, device electronic processor 140 may generate and send an attachment confirmation request signal in response to a trigger (such as a detected impact of portable device 105). For example, the orientation sensor 121 of the portable device 105 may include an accelerometer. Based on the data collected by the accelerometer, the device electronic processor 140 determines when the portable device 105 has been suddenly bumped (e.g., dropped from the garment 110 and landed on the ground). Thus, in some embodiments, the device electronic processor 140 generates and sends an attachment confirmation request signal based on a comparison of the acceleration of the portable device 105 to a predetermined threshold. For example, when the acceleration of the portable device 105 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the device electronic processor 140 generates and transmits an attachment confirmation request signal.

In some embodiments, as part of block 315 of fig. 6, in addition to or instead of based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110, the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the garment characteristics, the orientation of the portable device 105, the user characteristics, whether the portable device 105 is attached to the garment 110, or a combination thereof. In other words, the device electronic processor 140 can determine the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 and the at least one additional parameter. When the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 and the at least one additional parameter, the device electronic processor 140 may adjust the operation of the portable device 105 by, for example, adjusting a configuration of the display 119, adjusting a configuration of the hard key 120, adjusting a field of view of the image sensor 116, disabling a function, enabling a function, adjusting a notification feedback source, adjusting a beamforming of the microphone 117, adjusting a filtering of the microphone 117, adjusting a gain of the microphone 117, or a combination thereof.

As one example, the device electronic processor 140 determines the operating mode of the portable device 105 based on the location of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 and the orientation of the portable device 105. For example, the device electronic processor 140 determines that the position of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 is associated with the left shoulder of the user of the garment 110, and that the orientation of the portable device 105 is inverted. In response, device electronic processor 140 adjusts the operation of portable device 105 by, for example, enabling (turning on) a first subset of microphone elements closest to the user's mouth and disabling (turning off) a second subset of microphone elements furthest from the user's mouth. However, when the device electronic processor 140 determines that the position of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 is associated with the right shoulder of the user of the garment 110 and that the orientation of the portable device 105 is inverted, the device electronic processor adjusts the operation of the portable device 105 by, for example, disabling the first subset of microphone elements (because the first subset of microphone elements is now farther from the user's mouth) and enabling the second subset of microphone elements (because the second subset of microphone elements is now closer to the user's mouth). Similarly, when the device electronic processor 140 determines that the position of the portable device 105 on the garment 110 is associated with the right shoulder of the user of the garment 110 and that the access of the portable device 105 is right-side-up, the device electronic processor adjusts the operation of the portable device 105 by, for example, enabling the first subset of microphone elements (because the first subset of microphone elements is now closer to the user's mouth) and disabling the second subset of microphone elements (because the second subset of microphone elements is now farther from the user's mouth).

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," "has," "having," "includes," "including," "contains," "containing," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element starting with "comprising," "having," "including," or "containing" does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, contains, or contains the element. The terms "a" and "an" are defined as one or more unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "substantially," "about," or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1%, and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term "coupled", as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is "configured" in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

It is to be appreciated that some embodiments may consist of the following two parts: one or more general-purpose or special-purpose processors (or "processing devices"), such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, custom processors, and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs); and unique stored program instructions (including software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the methods and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches may also be used.

Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform the methods described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, ROMs (read-only memories), PROMs (programmable read-only memories), EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memories), EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memories), and flash memories. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.

The Abstract of the disclosure is provided to enable the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing detailed description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.